The young Mohandas also records at the age of fifteen, A thieving act when he stole a bit of gold, From his brother's armlet! Though Mohandas plucked out only a small pieceFrom the armlet made of solid gold, It was still a theft; To pay off the debt of twenty five rupeesThat the same brother had incurred.The debt was cleared with the money, But this act weighed down the conscience heavily.

Guilt gripped Mohandas, Until he decided to confess it to his father! He would never dare to speak to his father, Though he was not afraid of his father reprimanding himNo, his father had never beaten any of his children.Yet, the thought that was unbearable was The pain that should cause his fatherOn hearing of his son's act! Mohandas decided that a risk had to be takenFor he had to spill the beans in order to feel clean!

A firm decision taken, Mohandas wrote the confession on a slip of paperAnd handed to his father with trembling hands! In the note he not only confessed his guilt, But also asked for adequate punishment; With a request that His father should not punish himselfFor the son's offence! In the letter Mohandas begged forgivenessAnd pledged never to steal again!

The ailing father wasLying on the bedMade of a wooden plank! Mohandas handed him the paper And then, sat quietly opposite the plank! Karamchand Gandhi sat upTo read the letter.As he read his son's confession, Tears trickled down his cheeks, Wetting the paper!

When he finished reading the letterHe closed his eyes for a whileThen tore up the paperAnd once again lay down in his bed.As Mohandas watchedHis father cryHe could not hold back his tearsHe too cried with his father.As he could feelHis father's agony!

Mohandas reminisced: "If I were a painter, I could draw a picture of the whole scene today.It is still so vivid in my mind.Those tears of love cleansed my heart, and washed my sin away.Only he who has experienced such love can know what it is.This sort of forgiveness was not natural to my father.I had thought he would be angry, say hard things, And strike his forehead. But he was so wonderfully peaceful, And I believe this was due to my clean confession.A clean confession, Combined with a promise never to commit the sin again, When offered before the one who has the right to receive it, Is the purest type of repentance.I know that my confession Made my father feel absolutely safe about me, And increased greatly his affection for me! "

Poet's Notes about The Poem

These are touching tales of Mohandas's young days, so frankly and beautifully penned. When I read this chapter in Gandhiji's autobiography, I could fully relate to the situation. When the father and son cried, i too had tears in my eyes. Confessing before Parents requires great amount of courage and strength of mind. Before such confessions, even the strictest of fathers should melt down.Repentance is the highest form of atonement.